Chapter 152 - <9>
The next day, Ritz, who had been sleeping closest to the entrance, was shaken awake early in the morning by Marguerite. He sat up, clutching his aching head.
"Wake everyone up and meet in front of the big top in thirty minutes! Got it?"
"Yessh, Chief."
He looked around the tent with a yawn. Edward was already ready, but Anna, who was usually an early riser, was still asleep. Seeing how tired she was yesterday, he felt bad waking her, but it would be a huge problem if he didn't take her along, so he had no choice. Of course, Franz and Constanze, sleeping in a similar fashion, would also cause trouble if not woken.
Clutching his queasy stomach, he shook his head, and a sharp, piercing pain shot through it.
"Oww…"
As he groaned, holding his head, Edward gave him a wry, exasperated smile.
"Drank too much?"
"Shut up."
"Pathetic. A man like you, drinking enough to get a hangover."
"I said shut up… Ouch…"
After bringing Anna back to the tent and putting her to bed, he had sat outside with a bottle of liquor he'd swiped from the circus tent and drank alone, without any snacks. The cause was self-loathing for his own lack of patience.
"Did something happen?"
"…Nothing."
He knew Edward would probably read into the cause anyway, but he played dumb.
"I see. If you say so."
Edward didn't press him. He must have sensed there was a reason he couldn't say. Grateful in his heart, he gently gazed at the sleeping Anna. Her innocent face looked so peaceful. The sight made him sigh even more deeply.
To begin with, that comedy script Marguerite had written was the problem. Why on earth did he have to play the role of a man who falls in love at first sight with a beautiful younger girl, only to be completely ignored?
It was just like Anna, who adored Ritz as a brother, but would never see him as a man in the future, and would find a man she could properly love and leave him without a second thought.
It really wasn't funny at all.
And yesterday, Anna had been acting strange. He understood well enough that she was tired and wanted to be pampered. Anna, who was small but incredibly energetic, wasn't used to being coddled. Perhaps it was only after she started her journey that she learned it was okay to sometimes rely on others instead of just disciplining herself.
Maybe because of that, Anna had a habit of keeping things to herself. But last night, while tired, she had willingly abandoned that shell she kept herself in. He understood that immediately, but her way of being pampered was so helplessly alluring that he was at his wit's end.
Her half-open eyes from fatigue, her soft, limp body, and the teary, happy expression she looked at him with. He was well aware of his weakness for unconscious allure.
But to have a woman get that close to his face, in all his experience, Ritz had never let such an opponent go home as she came. Of course, for a moment, he had even debated whether it would be alright to just steal her lips then and there.
But his opponent was Anna, so he held back. He didn't want to be hated by this younger girl he had resolved to wait for, for decades if necessary, as pathetic as that sounded.
But everyone has a limit to their reason and patience. Last night, Anna had definitely crossed that line for Ritz. And completely unconsciously, at that. If she had been consciously tempting him, he would have gladly accepted, but knowing that wasn't the case, the right course of action was to take her back to the tent and put her to bed.
That's what he thought as he picked her up, but as the utterly unguarded and blissful Anna was on the verge of falling asleep, he finally couldn't hold back anymore.
He had decided he would never touch them, but before he knew it, he was gently sealing Anna's lips with his own. They were warm and incredibly soft. He was so bewildered he wondered if lips were supposed to be this soft. When he came to his senses and hastily pulled away, Anna was already breathing softly in her sleep, so she probably hadn't noticed.
But what if she had noticed? No, more than that, how was he supposed to keep these feelings, which could be so easily unrestrained by something so small, in check for decades? What was this lack of patience?
The thought led to a self-loathing that could only be quelled by drinking. But in times like these, one tended not to get drunk, and in the end, he had taken a few mouthfuls of the liquor used for fire-breathing. In retrospect, that seemed to have been the worst idea.
"Wake up, Anna, hey."
Clutching his head, he shook Anna, who was within arm's reach. He was a little worried about what he would do if she remembered what he had done and rejected him completely, but if they had to assemble in thirty minutes, he had no choice but to wake her.
"Ngh…"
Anna let out a small voice and stretched. Even that was so cute it made his heart ache. Desperately suppressing his feelings, he continued to wake her in a calm voice.
"Wake up. We're going to the Fire Clan's place in thirty minutes."
"The Fire Clan… Really!"
Anna shot up. As always, she was terrifyingly good at waking up.
"Oh no, if we don't wake up Franz and Constanze, we'll be late!"
"Wake them up for me."
He said this while holding his head, and Anna tilted hers.
"What's wrong?"
"Headache. Drank too much."
"Oh, Ritz. I'll fix it for you!"
As if nothing had happened, Anna happily placed her small hand on Ritz's forehead. It seemed she wasn't concerned in the slightest.
Unlike last night, the energetic Anna was completely unchanged from her usual self, which was a relief, but also a little disappointing. At the same time, his heart began to calm down little by little. Seeing the normal Anna, he was able to confirm within himself that his firm resolve to support her was stronger than his frantic adoration.
"Hey, Anna."
"What is it?"
"About last night…"
"Oh! I fell asleep, didn't I? I'm sorry, was I heavy?"
"No…"
"I was talking to you about something, wasn't I? I don't really remember much from halfway through. If I said anything weird, I'm sorry."
"N-No, you were totally fine."
"Really? I'm glad. Thanks, Ritz."
"Mmhmm…"
It seemed she hadn't noticed at all. He decided to consider it a perk of the job and treasure that soft sensation within himself. He couldn't say it out loud, but in his heart, he apologized to Anna. Sorry for stealing your lips.
Having come to terms with it in his mind, he took a deep breath and finally calmed down. Paying no mind to Ritz, Anna's gentle palm left his forehead.
"There, all done. You can't drink too much, okay?"
Anna put her hands on her hips like a nagging wife. She stared up at him, her eyes narrowed. It seemed she was genuinely worried. Anna was so cute, he was at a loss.
"Oh. So you can cure hangovers."
"Yeah. The day after the village festival, everyone has a hangover."
"I see."
In that case, it made sense that she could cure a hangover.
"You really have to be careful, okay?"
"Yeah."
Leaving the strangely convinced Ritz, Anna headed over to where Franz and Constanze were sleeping.
"Franz, Constanze, it's morning! If you don't wake up, we're going to the Fire Clan's village without you!"
While Anna cheerfully shook the two awake, Ritz quietly slipped out of the tent. He breathed in the cold air mixed with the pleasant scent of grass. It was another beautiful day. They hadn't had a single drop of rain since coming to Roshozu. A dry wind blew through the low grass, stroking it.
"A man approached Anna, and Anna wasn't entirely uninterested."
He was suddenly hit with those words. He knew without turning around. It was Edward.
"Or maybe Anna praised someone as a better man than Ritz. No, it's also possible that Anna declared that Ritz isn't her type."
If that had happened, he would have done more than just drink himself into a stupor. He slowly turned around, sullen, to see Edward standing there, as expected. And he was smiling cheerfully.
"Ed…"
"Oops, so that line of thought was off. Then perhaps you can't forgive yourself for making a move on Anna… is that it?"
"What are you saying on your own…"
"Am I wrong? The reason for your drinking binge."
"…"
"And from your exchange just now, it seems Anna hasn't noticed. My, my."
"…Shut up."
After muttering quietly, he turned his back to Edward. He was aware of how weak his retort was. It seemed their entire conversation had been overheard. But he couldn't think of any other words to say.
"Ritz."
"What is it?"
"Take good care of Anna. That girl is your guide."
At the unexpected seriousness of the words, Ritz couldn't help but frown.
"Ed?"
"From now on, she will be the one to stand before you and show you the way when you are lost."
"Stop it. That's bad luck. I don't like the way you're saying that. It's like…"
…like you're going to die. He was about to say it, then caught himself. The words that had been a joke nearly forty years ago were no longer a joke. Edward only had a few dozen years left. The Fire Clan he was about to visit had lifespans of about three hundred years, but a human's lifespan was at most a hundred. Had Edward been thinking the same thing, leading him to say those words?
He cautiously turned around to see Edward standing there with the same smile as he had in the old days. The image of Edward, who had been about his age back then, overlapped with his current form.
Although he had resolved to watch over Edward, Shasta, and Patricia as their lifespans came to an end, the era when Edward was alive was passing before his eyes at a terrifying speed. It was incredibly frightening. In a few more decades, that passionate era would be buried in the words of history books, and there would be no one left who knew the truth.
He felt a sense of unease, as if the ground he stood on was suddenly shaking. Anna was by Ritz's side now. So he shouldn't be alone. That said, he didn't want to depend solely on her. That was why he was trying to believe her words and think of the world as his place.
And yet, what was this anxiety?
As Ritz was at a loss for words, Edward laughed out loud.
"Don't look so serious. I intend to live at least until I see how things turn out between you and Anna."
"…Hmph, you look like you couldn't be killed if someone tried. Don't talk like that now."
"You're right. I was wrong to tease you, knowing you have the fragile heart of a boy."
"…Are you making fun of me?"
"Not at all. I'm not making fun of you. Well, never mind me. For now, I'm healthy and sound. Sound enough not to make a move on a young girl, at least."
"Ugh…"
That was a jab saying that Ritz was the unsound one. It was true, if Ritz saw a man his age in love with a girl Anna's age, he might frown and think him a dangerous fellow.
"You'd do well to be careful not to do anything that would make Anna hate you."
"I know, I know."
It felt like Edward was always getting the better of him. Even though he had lived longer, he didn't seem to be a match for Edward.
"For now, wash your face. There's water over there."
He looked where he was told and saw a large urn filled to the brim with water. He walked over to where Edward was talking with a wry smile, and it seemed Anna had filled it with a water sphere because it was too much trouble to go to the circus members' well.
"…She uses up all her energy doing things like this."
"That's certainly true. But there was no helping it, since the food poisoning hadn't happened when she filled this."
"I see."
In that case, this water had been stored for Ritz and Franz, who had still been sleeping at the time. Then he should gratefully accept Anna's kindness and use it.
After scooping some water from the large urn with a ladle and taking a sip, he scooped some into a nearby bucket and was washing his face when the Lucina siblings appeared, looking like they still hadn't had enough sleep. They had both managed to get dressed, but Anna was pushing them from behind. It seemed being bad at mornings was another thing these two had in common.
"You'll feel refreshed if you wash your face."
As the two of them washed their faces at her prompting, Ritz felt a sense of endearment. Seen like this, they were a good pair of siblings who looked very much alike, but it seemed Franz still had some lingering issues. It had been three days since he'd heard about it, and he still hadn't been able to talk to Franz. It was probably time to catch him.
As he was thinking this, Marguerite's loud voice echoed from the distance.
"What are you doing! The ride is already here!"
"Oh no, we have to hurry!"
Anna, who had been helping the Lucina siblings get ready, hastily washed her face. For some reason, he handed Anna the towel he had been using, and she gave him a dazzling smile.
"Thanks, Ritz."
"…Yeah."
Was it just his imagination, or was she getting cuter and more beautiful every time he saw her? When Anton had pushed Anna on him, he had thought he'd been saddled with a troublesome burden, but now he found himself unable to be without that very same burden.
Anton probably never imagined that Ritz would fall in love with his daughter. If he knew that the man he had entrusted her to, thinking he was safe, had turned into such a dangerous fellow, what would Anton think? It wasn't hard to imagine him shooing Ritz away like a bug that had attached itself to his daughter.
But Anna, oblivious to Ritz's feelings, smiled innocently.
"I'm hungry~ I guess we'll have to skip breakfast."
"You're right. I'm hungry too. But I guess we have no choice but to go."
"Yeah."
"Maybe we can have the Fire Clan's traditional cuisine for lunch."
"Wow, that's a huge appeal!"
"Right?"
"Hey, can I bring Sara-chan? There won't be anyone left in the tent."
"Of course you can. It'd be more dangerous to leave her behind, right?"
"You're right!"
As they had their usual conversation, the Lucina siblings finally got ready, and the group shuffled over to the front of the big top.
"You're taking your sweet time."
Marguerite said this with an exasperated tone, standing in front of a carriage. It wasn't flashy, but it was an elegant and stately construction.
With extremely little wood, the carriage seemed to be made from the various minerals mined by the Fire Clan, with metal being the main component. Here and there, inlaid jewels sparkled as accents. The overall glossy, blackish color was probably due to it being made of iron.
"Wow… it's beautiful."
Anna let out a cry of admiration upon seeing the carriage. Its brilliance seemed to change depending on the viewing angle, and Anna walked a full circle around it. The carriage was large enough to easily fit ten people.
"Constanze, isn't it beautiful!"
"Yes. It must be quite valuable."
"Um, that's not what I meant…"
Leaving the two, who were slightly out of sync, Ritz and Edward approached Marguerite, who was standing near the carriage.
"Chief, is this okay? Aren't there still people with food poisoning?"
"Yeah. But it's not like my being here will do any good. A doctor is all the sick need. Besides, today's a day off. They can't let loose with the chief around, can they?"
As she said this, Marguerite looked up at the towering big top before her.
"Most of them have recovered. It's not a problem."
Her eyes held a hint of worry, but it was true that having anyone other than a doctor milling about wouldn't be of any use. Ritz's gaze shifted to the road stretching straight from the big top. The early-rising merchants were beginning to set up their shops, and he could feel the embers of a lively heat smoldering amidst the quiet.
And further beyond, a massive mountain range was visible. At the end of this road, within that mountain, lay the settlement of the Fire Clan.
"How long will it take?"
"Let's see. About two hours, Your Majesty. After all, this is what's pulling it."
Marguerite cheerfully patted the neck of one of the two animals pulling the carriage. It had a light brown coat and stood nearly three meters tall. The figure, leisurely grazing on the grass at its feet, was more like an ox than a horse. But for an ox, its fur was long.
"Wow, is this a cow?"
Anna, who had been stroking the head of the huge creature at some point, asked Marguerite with great interest. He thought it clearly wasn't a cow, but he kept his mouth shut.
"This is a yak. It's all uphill from here, so a horse wouldn't last."
"Weren't yaks no good in hot places?"
"This is a type of yak that only lives here in Roshozu. The climate is harsh, but it can get cold in winter and at night, so this is about the only livestock we can keep."
"I see…"
It was certainly different from a normal yak. Normal yaks were black and had much longer hair, but while this yak's hair was far longer than a cow's or a horse's, it didn't hang down to the ground. Its horns were also significantly larger, making it clear it was a species he had never seen before.
"It's closer to an ox than a horse, so its milk and meat are top quality. So this isn't a horse-drawn carriage, it's an ox-cart. Come on, come on, stop dawdling and get in!"
Perhaps thinking they would never leave if she let them be, Marguerite quickly climbed into the carriage first. Everyone else followed her. Inside, the seats were long benches facing each other, running perpendicular to the direction of travel. Large windows were built behind each seat so they could see the scenery outside. Unlike those in Yuresla, the driver's seat was also inside the passenger compartment, offering a clear view of the front.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
The male driver replied with just one word and cracked the whip in his hand. The yaks slowly began to move. He was a stocky Fire Clan man, quiet like Ordo from the other day. Marguerite was handling all the explanations for the carriage by herself. Among the demi-humans, this race had the most skewed male-to-female ratio; the others were all more or less balanced.
The passionate women called Flame Warriors were supported by these quiet men with hidden strong wills. From Ritz's perspective as a mercenary in a combat profession, it was a very good balance. People in combat professions were often hot-tempered and needed someone to support them from behind.
"Marguerite-san, is it okay if I hang this lamp?"
Anna asked as she removed one of the lamps hanging for use at night. Marguerite peered at the lamp placed beside her and nodded.
"Hmm? Ah, it's a Salamander larva. Go ahead."
"You can tell?"
"Yeah, I can. Most of us in the Fire Clan can see spirits."
As she said this, Marguerite called out to Sara-chan, and Sara-chan, perhaps excited by her first outing in a while, chirped happily.
"But most of the ones with enough power to use spirits are the men. The women have superior athletic ability instead. And the spirits the men can use are almost all fire. Though there are a few who can use wind."
Perhaps that had something to do with their lifespan. He thought so, but didn't say anything, instead silently turning his gaze from Marguerite and Anna to the scenery outside the rear window. He casually watched as the big top, painted in red and yellow, gradually receded and grew smaller.
After they finished the breakfast Marguerite had kindly prepared, they each ran out of things to do and surrendered themselves to the swaying of the ox-cart.
It was considerably slower than a horse-drawn carriage, but the ox-cart proceeded with a leisurely, side-to-side sway.
Constanze, who had initially been looking around, intrigued by the novelty of the ox-cart, was now silently gazing out the window. From the way her head occasionally bobbed, she might be dozing off. Her brother Franz, who was bad at mornings, had his arms crossed and his head bowed, looking as if he were deep in thought but actually completely asleep. It was rare to see a non-sleeping Franz in a carriage.
Eventually, the ox-cart left the makeshift village of tents and entered a mountain road. Black rocks poked out here and there from the earth, which was covered in low-growing grass.
"Those rocks, they're black and rugged. I've never seen anything like them."
Anna's excited voice, coming from her seat next to Marguerite, was directed behind Ritz. He turned his head and indeed saw many sharp, angular, jet-black stones among the yellow-green and green grasslands. It was a sight you wouldn't see in the Yuresla Kingdom. Before Ritz could open his mouth, Marguerite spoke to Anna.
"Those are called volcanic rocks. When the mountain breathes fire, rocks that big come flying. At tremendous speed. It's quite a spectacular sight."
"Flying?! Those things?"
"Yep. And the rocks are burning, so they scorch everything around them. It's terrifying."
"That's scary~
It was true that if a rock of that size came flying at high speed while on fire, it would be impossible to dodge. But thinking that such a thing was unlikely, Marguerite's words caught his ear.
"Well, it's been quiet for the past sixty years or so, but it erupts about once every hundred years. Come see it in another forty years. It's quite impressive."
"Don't invite her to something so dangerous, Chief."
Just as Anna was about to say, I'd love to!, he couldn't help but cut in, and Marguerite burst out laughing.
"My, my, if the guardian's permission isn't granted, I suppose it can't be helped."
"Ritz isn't my guardian."
Anna pouted, and Marguerite shrugged at Ritz like a clown, then smiled cheerfully.
"Is that so? Then come and see. The intensity and beauty of the bright red lava dancing in the pitch-black void will be a show like no other."
To Marguerite, even a volcanic eruption felt like a circus performance. But in the words that followed, he felt he saw where her heart truly lay.
"We of the Fire Clan fear the mountain, and we revere the mountain, but we love its inner fire without end."
The mountain that held an inner fire, and the Flame Warriors who wore it. Both concealed a hot fire within their bodies.
"Why did a Flame Warrior become a circus ringleader?"
He asked this, somewhat carried away by the flow of the conversation, and Marguerite's amber eyes stared intently at Ritz. In her round, plump body, there was no longer any trace of a warrior, yet the sharpness of her gaze was undoubtedly that of a fighter. But upon seeing the curious Anna, she suddenly erased that sharpness.
"It's a boring, common story if you ask."
"What kind of story is it?"
Looking back at Anna, who was staring at her with sparkling eyes, Marguerite began to speak in a soft tone, as if reading a fairy tale.
"Our clan is made up of many women called Flame Warriors, a small number of women who do not go to battle, and the men who protect the mountain of the fire spirits. A Flame Warrior takes several men as husbands, and the small number of women gather the children and care for them while the Flame Warriors are training for battle. Isn't that right, Bordo?"
"Yes."
The man who had been driving the ox-cart without a word spoke for the second time today.
"I too was a woman who served as the Chief of the Flame Warriors, so of course I was expected to take several husbands. But I didn't like it. A life where you love several husbands equally and they all love one person without fighting. I, like in battle, wished to have a man whom I acknowledged as my equal, one on one, as my husband."
As she said that, Marguerite pointed toward Bordo.
"Well, this boy who's never left the village probably doesn't understand yet. But you've walked through other countries, so you get it, right?"
The question was directed at Anna, who would normally never be asked such a thing. He thought she would, as usual, reply with, "I don't know yet," but Anna's reaction was different.
"Mmm, I think I kind of understand. My adoptive father is the father of all the children in the orphanage, and I'm his adopted daughter, but I'm just one of them. I know my adoptive father likes me, but I also know that he'll never like me the best."
"That's right."
"I used to think it was wrong to want someone to like me the best. I thought it would be so happy if everyone in the world loved each other equally. But recently, I've started to think maybe that's not it…"
Anna's words made his heart skip a beat. Could it be that she was aware of him? No, he shouldn't get his hopes up. If he looked with expectant eyes, he would twist everything into feelings directed at him. That would turn into the troublesome emotion of mere delusion. He let out a small sigh and listened to the rest of Anna's words.
"I'm a spirit user, and I respect the Water Spirit King and love the Goddess, right? I grew up hearing that the Goddess loves and watches over everyone warmly, but I wonder if the Goddess isn't lonely too. Because to love everyone and be loved by everyone means you can't be someone's number one. Um, I'm not sure what I'm trying to say anymore…"
Marguerite placed a hand on the head of the smiling, troubled Anna.
"As expected of a girl, you understand, don't you? I wanted to love a single man who was my equal, and raise my own children without handing them over to someone else. It was around that time that the circus came to town, and I fell in love with its ringleader."
Marguerite's eyes narrowed with nostalgia. A happy expression appeared, buried in her round cheeks.
"I'm of the Fire Clan. Once my heart's on fire, no one can stop it. So I quickly resigned my post as warrior chief, left the village, and imposed myself on the circus. The ringleader might have been fed up with my pushiness, but my husband, the ringleader, was truly kind."
"He sounds like a wonderful husband."
"Of course. My judgment is sound. So I traveled the world with my husband and the members of the circus. Compared to that fun and sense of freedom, the pride of the Fire Clan seemed like a small thing."
You'll see when you go outside, too, Marguerite said to the driver, Bordo, but Bordo didn't even reply, just kept his eyes forward. Shrugging at him, Marguerite continued her story.
"But my husband was human, so he entrusted the circus to me and croaked on me. I was blessed with three children, but unfortunately, their father's blood was strong, and they outlived me, their mother, and died on me. Truly the height of filial impiety. Well, by the time my children died, I had poured a hundred times more love into them than others, so I have no regrets and I'm not lonely. I, who am not a goddess or anything, can't complain about lifespans. Besides, I've been blessed with a huge number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren."
Here was another person who had experienced the difference in time that flowed between races. Compared to Ritz, her lifespan of three hundred years was short, but the sorrow of losing a loved one to their lifespan and being left behind was the same. But she was far stronger than Ritz.
"I'm a great-grandmother now. To call me, so young, an old woman is a joke. So until I croak, I'm the ringleader of the Marguerite Circus Troupe."
Having said her piece, Marguerite opened her mouth wide and laughed heartily. There wasn't a hint of shadow in her expression. Edward, who had been sitting next to Ritz, suddenly spoke up.
"Chief, what words did your children leave you when they were dying?"
"Words? Let's see, they told me not to worry about them at all and to live as I pleased, just as I always had. Of course, when I said I would live as I pleased, they laughed and said that was so like me. I told you, right? I told my children not to live in a way that would leave them with regrets."
"I see. That's a good reference."
He didn't want to ask what it was a reference for.
As Marguerite and Anna began to talk about the circus, Ritz closed his eyes. Every time he saw someone who lived a strong life, he realized his own immaturity, and a sense of patheticness welled up inside him. He thought he needed to become stronger, but he had kept his emotional weakness completely hidden inside a shell until now, so he had no idea how to train that soft part of himself.
Even so, Ritz thought. What a leisurely and comfortable ride compared to a horse-drawn carriage. Come to think of it, he had been drinking until midnight, so he had become sleepy.
With the pleasant swaying of the ox-cart, Ritz had fallen asleep before he knew it.